Always #LookUp

August 27, 2018 at 2:53 PM

It’s Road Safety Week in Queensland and Young’s Bus Service has an important message for everyone…. #LookUp!

From the 1st January to 19th August 2018, there were 161 fatalities in Queensland. When comparing this to the same period from the previous year, the statistics reveal 2018 has had 11 more fatalities. That’s an increase of 7.3%!

Since 2014, the number of fatalities for our Central Region [1] have increased significantly. With 51 deaths of the State total in 2018 occurring in our local district compared to 36 back in 2014. If that’s not enough for you take notice, Central Region holds the highest number of deaths in one year compared to the rest of the State. In 2013 that number was 60 compared to Brisbane’s 16 and South East Queensland’s 24. [2]

With so much money being spent on road safety campaigns, education and changing legislation, why is the amount of fatalities still climbing? Unfortunately, we don’t know the answer to that but what we do know is distractions are a big part of the problem.

This week Youngs Bus Service wants to focus on passenger and pedestrian safety with our #LookUp message.

If you’re waiting for the bus or getting off the bus, think about your safety first. Queensland Police Service Acting Superintendent Ivan Sikorsky said “Put down the phone and look at your surroundings. If you’re using headphones or anything like that, then turn down the music when you’re about to cross a road.”

Our Operations Manager Phil Young also said “There are too many people looking at their phones. We’ve had passengers miss catching the bus or forget to get off because they’re lost in their phone. More seriously, we have witnessed pedestrians walk out in front of our buses because they’re looking down at their phone. Our message to everyone is simple….LOOK UP!”

[1] Fatalities by Queensland Police Service region

[2] Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads Road Safety Statistics